A report into Holmes’ death, carried out by Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Nigel Newcomen, said he had a series of long-term health problems, including heart, liver and lung diseases.

Mr Newcomen reported: “During the night and early hours of 26/27 May, Mr Holmes complained of vomiting and diarrhoea. A nurse checked him at 9.30pm, 11.50pm and 2am and found that his blood pressure, pulse and temperature were within the normal range.

“The nurse gave him some medication. At 2am, Mr Holmes said he felt better. The nurse and the wing officer told Mr Holmes to ring his cell bell to alert them if his condition worsened again during the night.

“At about 5.10am, an officer checking prisoners could not see or get a response from Mr Holmes. The officer and the night manager went into his cell and found him lying in the toilet area, face down and unresponsive.”

Paramedics and medical staff were called to help, but were unable to revive him.

Mr Newcomen found Holmes had “received an appropriate standard of care at the prison and that the emergency response when staff found him collapsed was well managed”.

Becky McPhee pictured in happier times with her former boyfriend Kevin Holmes, the brother of Paul Holmes

He also found the prison service had adequately supported Holmes’ daughter, though she was reported to have been “unhappy that the prison did not continue to support her actively after her father’s funeral”.

Holmes’ attack on Becky at her Cherry Road home led to severe criticism of Merseyside Police for failing to prevent the attack. She had moved to Ainsdale to escape his clutches after police recorded 14 violent incidents in the two years before her death.

On the day of the murder, Holmes rang police to taunt them after officers searching a Liverpool city centre pub failed to spot him.

Becky, who fell in love with her killer while attempting to come to terms with the 2007 death of his brother Kevin, had earlier warned police: “It’s only a matter of time before he kills me.”

The police watchdog, the IPCC, concluded that Becky’s death “could have been prevented” had officers done their job properly. The force acted upon a number of recommendations made by the IPCC to better protect domestic abuse victims.